Fishing

The weather could not have been any more perfect than the final days of last week. The winds were light in the morning with the no-see-ums chewing the flesh off my bones. By midmorning a warm breeze kept the no-see-ums at bay and allowed me to come out of my hoodie. It looks as if our last cool blast will have passed us by the time you read this column and we will be in a true springtime pattern. It is looking like a typical spring break for our students with warm weather and a slight chance of showers each day. It is definitely time to get after the fish.

I had to double take while watching the news recently because this week Brunswick County is forecast to have daily high temperatures in the high 70s. Because of all this warm, calm weather, many of my fishing friends and other local anglers have contacted me to tell me they plan to fish in the Gulf Stream this week. Every conversation consists of, “You going this week?” or, “Where’s the water at?”

The forecast hasn’t looked this pretty in a while. Temperatures are on the steady rise, nearly topping 70 degrees this week. Sure, a few cloudy, cool days are in the mix with a slight chance of rain. The rain chance is supposed to be significantly less than our last several events. This whole winter it seemed as if the rain would never stop falling. I am ready for some springlike weather and it looks as if we are going to get a few shots. I just hope it stays this way and this is not just a tease.

After consecutive weeks of cold, dreary weather, everyone in Brunswick County is ready for spring. This season may only bring warm weather and comfortable beach days for some, yet for hunters and fishermen, it means something different.

About the first or second week of March is when I make my seasonal transition. To me it begins with turkey season. Breaking out my diaphragm call and scouting to see where a giant tom may be roosting. This process varies for many and I’ll admit much of my success is from reading how experienced hunters target big turkeys.

January can be an extremely tough month for Brunswick County fishermen. Air temperatures are frigid, marine conditions are predominantly rough, and “honey-do” lists’ seem to increase every time you tinker with fishing tackle. Yet somewhere past the howling winds and dismal days there is hope that a day will come to head offshore again. Not knowing what the targeted species may be, but simply to push the throttles forward and head out to the blue water.

What in the world can a fisherman write about in this kind of weather? The possibility of a nasty winter storm just squeaked by our coastline last weekend. Several areas north of us recorded the second worst snow storm in their history. I expect we will see a few more opportunities for a nasty winter storm along our coastline before April. The good news is that the forecast for Feb. 1 shows highs in the mid-60s. Those kinds of temperatures just might put a few people on the water. What can you expect to encounter out there?